Altruism
by YellowXelia
Summary: "I'll try harder to carry it myself." Oz takes his promise a little too far, and when an encounter with a criminal interrupts the hunt for an illegal contractor, it falls on Gilbert and Alice to clean up the mess the Vessalius heir created.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Well, looks like this little pet-project of mine is the first thing I'm posting here. I just hope it isn't too bad; I whipped it out with no idea what I was doing o_o;  
>The timeline is sorta weird, but let's just say it's after Elliot dies, but before all this ReoGlen stuff.  
>Anywho, enjoy~!<br>Disclaimer: Me? Own Pandora Hearts? Surely you're joking! Ahahahahaha~!

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><p>We all have a social mask, right? We put it on, we go out, put our best foot forward, our best image. But behind that social mask is a personal truth, what we really, really believe about who we are and what we're capable of.<br>-Phil McGraw

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><p>For the past month, things had been quiet for the small group of Pandora workers. Surprisingly, no illegal contractors had popped up, giving Oz and company a chance to relax; although Alice had other opinions of this lull in her memory-hunting mission.<p>

"I'm bored! Manservant! Make me un-bored!" Her loud voice carried out into the hall and into Gilbert's room, where he was attempting to relax after being subjected to Oz's 'fun'. Attempting. Why couldn't that stupid rabbit just shut up for once! It seemed that every time he wanted peace and quiet, she was there to ruin it.

The all-too-familiar sound of Oz's scream broke through his angry thoughts, sending Gilbert into an instinctive panic that had him rushing to the small front-room. "OZ! YOU BETTER NOT HAVE HAVE DONE ANYTHING TO HIM, STUPID RABBIT!"

Much to his relief (and chagrin), the scene that greeted him was not one to worry about, except maybe the fact that a smirking Alice had perched herself on the out-of-breath Oz. Glad to see that his master wasn't dying, Gilbert proceeded to reprimand the two for causing him undue grief.

"Geez, you two! Don't make such a racket! Especially you, rabbit,"Alice stuck out her tongue,"And Oz, please don't scream like that unless you're dying or in danger."Said boy had been casually avoiding his servant's eyes, hoping not to be noticed, but at the mention of his name he gave a sheepish smile.

Alice removed her person from Oz's chest, muttering 'stupid seaweed head, ruining my fun!' and headed into the kitchen to find some meat. The blond, recovering from having his breathing impaired, stretched his arms above his head. "Giiiiiilll~ Help me up!" Despite knowing the boy could do so on his own, Gilbert pulled him to his feet with little effort.

Stepping back, he evaluated his predicament; one bored, stupid rabbit raiding his kitchen, and one bored, troublesome young master. All in all, not a good combination. Leaving Oz to straighten up his hair, Gilbert wandered over to the smWall window that looked out on the narrow streets of the edge of Lebleux.

"I feel like a babysitter,"He muttered under his breath, pointedly ignoring the crashing noises coming from the kitchen area.

"Children can be a menace~! Right Emily?"A smooth voice said in his ear, scaring the daylights out of him.

"GAH!"Jumping, he noticed one Xerxes Break standing directly beside him, looking pleased,"BREAK! What the hell is your problem! And how did you get here?"

The strange man ignored him in favor of sitting on the arm of one of the couches. "Lady Sharon has asked me to deliver an invitation~,"He pulled a crisp, white envelope from nowhere, completely ignoring Gilbert. The disgruntled gun-man took the letter none too gently, glaring at the intruder (anyone who randomly appeared in his home without invitation was an intruder) while he opened it.

Oz, Alice, Gil,  
>We have recieved news of mysterious disappearances and deaths in Voleurne, and it is suspected that an illegal contractor is the cause. A couch will meet you outside the city tomorrow at 7:20 in the morning. Please be prompt.<br>Sincerely,  
>Lady Sharon Rainsworth<p>

Gilbert felt a small burst of hope in his chest; hunting down a contractor would certainly take everyone's minds off of their restlessness and boredom. He especially hoped it helped Oz stop thinking about Elliot.

The teen had been different since his friend's death; quieter, more focused. Gilbert knew he shouldn't worry, but there was something off in Oz's demeanor; he just didn't know what. Returning to the present, he noticed that Break had disappeared. Not really caring about the whereabouts of the crazy man, he called the two troublemakers back into the room.

"Aah! Don't drop it-ouch!"

"Hmph. That should teach you to order me around. Besides, I wasn't going to drop it!"Gilbert sighed in dismay, trying not to imagine what the two might be doing to his kitchen. With a few last giggles, the pair finally stumbled into the front room.

Raising his eyebrows at the mess that adorned their faces and clothes, Gilbert decided he'd rather not know just yet. "Well,"He began,"Lady Sharon has invited us over tomorrow to discuss a possible illegal contractor in a town up North." Suddenly, he found himself staring at the ceiling with Oz sitting on him.  
>"O-Oz!"He stammered, feeling his face heat up at his master's sudden close proximity. The boy simply stared at him with wide, burning, green eyes.<p>

"Does this mean we get to go somewhere?"He implored, childish excitement radiating from his entire being. Gilbert nodded, and anything he might have said was drowned out by the enormous cheer Oz gave as he leapt up. Alice joined him in his celebratory dancing while the ravenette lay on the floor in defeat. He had a feeling it was going to be a long night.

After cleaning up the mess in the kitchen (which actually wasn't that bad), Alice retired to her room, claiming she'd had enough of 'slave-driving seaweed heads'. Oz took a seat beside Gilbert on the couch, wondering at the sudden silence that had fallen. Neither spoke or looked at eachother until a hand brushed against Oz's face. Gilbert answered his master's unspoken question with a quiet, "There was something on your face." Oz is different at night, Gil thought, when there's no one to see him, and he's too tired to smile. He was yanked from his musings when something fell against his arm. Oz really was different when he was tired. "...Gil, I'm really sorry."

Something in his voice scared Gilbert. "What for?"He replied calmly.

"I've been making you worry again,"He sounded...distant,"I told you I would try and handle things on my own, but I still make everyone hurt." Gil watched in shocked silence as he fell asleep, a tiny frown upon his face.  
>"Hurting us?"The raven-haired gunman moved the sleeping teen so he was lying on the couch,"Is that what's been on your mind all this time?"He carefully arranged a blanket over Oz before heading outside. He needed a smoke.<p>

A/N: So, I'd really like to know how it was. Is it worth continuing?(I have the basic plot outlined. There will be angst. And action.) Should I destroy it? Anything I could improve on? Please leave a comment! (No flames please :) )


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Well, this took ridiculously long. Some of the descriptions may be a little vague, but we see so little of Gil's house that I don't really know what it looks like D: And thanks, XxBlazingFuryxX, for reviewing!

Disclaimer: Not mine.

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><p>"There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will."<br>-Epictetus

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><p>The sensation of cold air on bare skin jolted Oz from his dreams. Still half asleep, he sat up in confusion, not quite sure what was going on. But when he caught sight of his blanket on the floor, he realized the reason for his rude awakening. Turning so that his feet rested on the floor, Oz pulled his arms above his head in a languid stretch. Blinking to clear the sleep from his eyes, he twisted to check the clock hanging from the wall. 6:45. There was still about a half hour before they would need to leave.<p>

"Oz? You're up already?" Gil's semi-surprised voice drew his attention to the doorway across the room. He had come with the purpose of waking his master up, but apparently that wasn't necessary. Approaching the drowsy boy with clean clothes hanging off his arm, he tried to quell the worry that insisted on making itself known.

"Huh?," Oz accepted the clothes that were handed to him, "Oh, yeah...My blanket fell off, and it was cold..." He trailed off with a shrug and a wide grin, pulling on his usual green shorts before his legs froze. Pulling off his night shirt, he slipped the white dress shirt onto his shoulders and started buttoning it before Gilbert intervened.

"Here; let me do it," Oz hesitated, hands still in the act of buttoning until Gil pulled them away gently, taking over the task. "It's my job to do this kind of stuff; you should let me help once in a while." His words held a double meaning, although he hadn't consciously planned it.

By the time Oz's tie had been fastened securely around his neck, Alice had stumbled into the room, demanding food (meat). Gilbert 'politely' informed her that she had eaten/destroyed all the food he'd bought the other day, but Sharon would most likely have food for them. Oz smiled and watched his two friends bicker, although it was giving him a slight headache.

The spat lasted another ten minutes, and only stopped because Oz casually remarked about the time being awfully close to seven twenty. Gilbert overreacted as usual and herded his charges out of the door and onto the street, nearly forgetting his hat. Luckily, Oz had been kidding about the time, and the trio found themselves eating crêpes (or meat, in Alice's case). Checking his newly obtained pocket watch, Gilbert informed them they had about ten minutes before they would have to head outside the city. So, crêpes in hand, Oz led the others through the crowded streets of Lebleux.

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><p>Alice and Gil allowed him to walk ahead, although they didn't walk directly next to eachother. There was an uncomfortable tension-filled silence between them, and neither was willing to break it. Oz picked up on the hostility emanating from behind him, and turned to his companions with a too-bright smile.<p>

"Come on, guys! You shouldn't be so moody! I know you don't like eachother, but at least TRY to get along. It gets kinda hard being the mediator all the time..." His face fell somewhat, and he looked a bit confused at his words, "But, just try, 'k?" And with that he swung back around and headed towards the fringe of buildings that marked the end of Lebleux.

"That was weird. What's wrong with him?" Gil turned to Alice, too surprised to remember to glare. But she had a point; Oz had actually asked them to stop arguing, and admitted being bothered by it. Alice asked him another question, "Was he acting weird yesterday too, or is it just today?"

"He was saying some interesting things last night," He confessed; it was better to have an aly in situations like this than deal with it himself, something Oz had trouble with himself. Besides, Oz had asked him to get along with the stupid rabbit, and he would do anything his master asked of him.

They followed the dusty road to where Oz waited, jumping around like the hyper child he usually was. The carriage came exactly on time, give or take a few minutes, and they clambered inside, eager to get to the mansion. The first fraction of the ride was spent in anxious silence, with both contractor and chain pressing their faces against the windows. Gil stared at nothing in particular, trying to come up with a way to ask the blond if anything was wrong. None of his ideas were very good so far.

When the two teens finally felt their exitement die down, the energy in the air seemed to mellow out. Alice fell asleep within minutes, and Oz leaned against her shoulder. Gilbert watched them, something resembling jealousy coiling in his stomach like a snake. His hand twitched towards the ciggarettes in his pocket, but he redirected it to straighten his coat. He turned to look out the window, only to jump up when something bumped his arm.

Oz glared at him from tired eyes, "Geez, Gil! You're so jumpy! I'm trying to sleep," Gil lowered himself back onto the seat, a small smile on his face. His arm went around the younger's shoulders, a gesture of acceptance and comfort.

"I thought you were sitting with her," He asked curiosly, nodding in the sleeping chain's direction. Oz shook his head, mussing his hair against his servant's chest.

"She's too short to lean on, and she kicks me in her sleep," He whined, but his voice held nothing but adoration for the girl. The snake writhed and coiled. Gil's arm tightened slightly around his young master, as if to keep him away from the monster-in-human-form that was draining his life. He had to protect him, make him happy. But how could he do both when the one destroying him brought him happiness? Everything was too confusing.

"Gil, why are you worrying?" He'd forgotten Oz was right next to him, and struggled to come up with an excuse.

"I-I'm not worrying," Was all he managed to stutter out. The half-asleep boy wrinkled his brow in annoyance, easily seeing through the obvious lie. Gil had never been the best at lying. Especially to Oz.

"Giiiiillll, yes you are. Don't lie," The way his name was drawn out in that childish manner brought back memories of other pleas from their days at the Vessalius mansion, "You get this angry look on your face when you worry...about me," The last part was in a guilty whisper.

Gilbert hastened to explain exactly what he was worried about before another incident like the last one happened, "No! Well, yes, I was worrying about you, I guess, but you don't have to sound like it's a bad thing! I was just thinking that maybe I shouldn't let you stay up so late if you get so tired." It was a lame excuse, but not entirely untrue.

On the other seat, Alice opened her eyes a fraction and took in the scene with a half-asleep mind. "Hey...seaweed head...you can't...can't have my manservant..." She lurched to the seat that Oz and Gil occupied, immediately claiming the poor man's other arm. With a half-hearted tug, she fell back asleep.

Oz's quiet giggles reverbrated around the carriage. Sighing in resignation, Gilbert let her have his arm and tried to keep his mind occupied on something other than the two sleeping teenagers clinging to him. Without their loud voices, the rest of the trip went by quickly.

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><p>The mansion grounds were quiet and bright, causing the two recently awakened teens to hide their eyes behind their hands at the sudden light. Gil placed his hat on Oz's head as he stepped out of the carriage, effectively silencing any complaints at the brightness before they could form. A maid greeted them and led them through the many hallways to a lovely sun room, where a small table had been covered in an array of snacks and confections. The one who had summoned them was sitting on a chair that was placed out on the balcony that overlooked one of the gardens.<p>

Sharon smiled and rose from her seat, looking at something below the balcony before walking back into the room to join her guests. "I see you made it on time! I was worried I would have had to drag you here myself," Her smile chilled the atmosphere for a second before taking on a lighter feeling.

"I assume you understand from the invitation what you're needed for?" They nodded, "Good. Break is arranging transportation as we speak, and your lodgings have been taken care of. Did you bring any belongings you'll need?" Everyone stared at Gil, who blushed at the sudden attention.

"What? I forgot, okay? I'm sorry!" His tone was on the deffensive side, meaning he had obviously neglected the fact that they might need, say, clothes. Sharon shook her head in disappointment, and with the air of someone who always planned ahead, waved her hand at three good sized luggage bags.

"I knew you would forget, so I took the liberty of buying some clothes for all of you," Alice snickered, and Oz mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like 'predictably useless'. Sharon smiled in that eerily polite way, and waited for them to quiet down.

"Break is waiting in front of the gates, so I think it's best you get down there," Oz and Alice thanked her and rushed out of the room, eager to be on their way. Gil got up slower, feeling uncertain despite the lingering embarassment. Something that had been mentioned in the letter had bothered him.

"Miss Sharon, you, ah, mentioned disappearances in your note. What kind of disappearnces are they exactly?" The morbid gaze she turned on him made him feel nauseous.

"...The disappearances aren't directly linked to the deaths," She said slowly, almost cautiously, "They're more...kidnappings."

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><p>AN: WOOT. I did it! Another chapter! If there're any grammar/spelling/plot problems, don't hesitate to tell me! Seriously.


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